Laundryproof fastener



. Jan. 15, 194.6. y' T. GRIFFINv 2,393,219

` V LAUNDRY-'PROOF FASTENER Filed Aug. 24, 1943 Patented Jan. 15, 1946 "LAU'Nn'aYrRoOF FS'I'SEER ff Theodore R."G'riiiin, Belmont, Mass., assignor to United CarreFastene'r Corporation, Cambridge, Y Y Mass., acorporaton of Massachusetts Appiiatijn august/24, 1943, seiiaiNo. 499,863V y y 1 Claim. (Cl. 24e-219) fastener, and the invention aims generally to( improve existing stud members therefor.

` One of the'l-principalaims and objects of the 'invention is to provide a stud member of such strong and durable construction that it maybe 'aiiixed to a garment or'othe'r article of launder-i able nature capable of withstanding the heavy pressures whicl'rare normally incurred in laundering garments.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of stud member adapted to cooperate with a socket member of the type having an annular series of resilient fingers dening a resilient stud-receiving socket and a surrounding retainer ring connected to the inner ends of the fingers by a sloping anvil portion defining an annular trough between said anvil and fingers, the stud member being provided with integral means positioned in the annular trough outwardly of the resilient fingers to reinforce the latter against over-expansion such as would disengage the stud member from the socket when the cooperating members of the fastener are subjected to relative lateral strain.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved stud member of the above described character which, because of its extremely simple construction, may be manufactured very inexpensively.

The above and other aims and objects of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the accompanying drawing and annexed specication illustrating and describing the preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged sectional elevation of a snap fastener assembly embodying my improved form of stud member;

Fig. v2 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the stud member Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the stud; and

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the socket.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, Fig. l shows'a snap fastener installation comprising a conventional form of socket member IIJ affixed to a fabric-supporting sheet Il by suitable means, as for example a clinch ring I2. In this figure the supporting sheet may comprise one or more layers of fabric material which may be hemmed rti'ons formed .alongtheoverlapping edges of the garment'ofalaunderable nature. y

"As stated, the socket member' may be of a conventiohal construction comprising .a'central Wall I3 of generally vcylindrical proportions which has been axially slitted as at I4 (F'gfl) Afata number offpoints to form'gaplurality of'resilient fingers I5 inwardly rolled ,along its free ends to provide each of these fingers with a stud-engaging bead.

.The socket member advantageously includes an 'integralretainer ringi connected tothe fingers "bya sloping wall Il with aysubst'antially. V, 'sliaped annular trough"l8'between"the sloping Wall vI'I and central wall I3. The socket element l0 may be advantageously secured to its fabric-supporting sheet II by any suitable means, for example a socket clinch plate comprising an annular ring I2 having a plurality of prongs I9 which are forced through the fabric sheet Il and into engagement with the sloping outer surface of the 'wall I1 which turns them inwardly into locked engagement with the retainer ring I6. Preferably the outer edge |68* of the retainer ringV is beyond the beaded ends of the lingers I5 so as to protect the latter against crushing in mangles or the like when laundering the garment. This type of socket member per se is of known construction and is here shown merely as illustrative of a preferred type of socket with which my improved st-ud member may be used.

My improved stud member is preferably formed from a single piece of material, such as metal, and comprises a base or plate portion 20 having a central bulbous head 2| and a restricted neck 22 defining a stud adapted for snap fastener engagement with the resilient fingers I5 forming the socket of the socket member as is usual with such fasteners.

In order to reinforce the resilient socket element formed by the resilient fingers I5 against over-expansion and consequent separation of the engaged stud and socket members when subjected to relative lateral strain, as for example by a lateral pull applied to the members in planes at right angles to the central axis of the stud and socket, I provide integral means on the stud for reinforcing the socket against over-expansion during such times as the plate portion 20 of the stud substantially engages the outer edge I6a of the retainer ring.

This is accomplished advantageously, as in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, by forming on said [plate an annular ring 23 of inverted U-shaped cross-section as viewed'when the head 2| of the stud is uppermost, as shown when subjected to relative lateral strain in the direction of the arrows. This, however, does not hinder the engagement and disengagement of the stud and socket members upon substantial axial movement.

I am aware that heretofore it `has been proposed to reinforce the resilient iingers of the socket member of laundry-.proof fasteners but, in-

. sofar kasgl am aware, such reinforcement has been the spaced side walls of the ring 23 engaging ori positioned close to the ngers I5 and sloping wall by means of a separate plate member attached to and facing a part of the socket member and involves construction more complicated and costly l1 inwardly of the terminal endsof the socket rigeIS. i v;

The stud member may be .attachedfto its fabricsupporting sheet 21 by any suitable means ecm-V monly employed for securing stud fasteners to a support. In the form herein illustratedv the stud member may be affixed to its supporting-.sheet by.

.means of an eyelet havingf a plate 25 vengaging the opposite faces of'tlielsheet 21 and atubular eyelet V26 passed through the sheet 2'and into fthe interior of thehead in which it'is'expanded asv a iresult 'of Vpressure to clamp4 the* stud Vand .eyelet together;'as'isV welliknown inthe art;

With the stud and socket member in cooperativej'snap fastener engagementas shown in Fig. 1,

than-the fastener employing my improved stud 1 member.

"it will vbe seen thatthe rin?,r 23 is positioned in "the V`shaped trough i8 'of the socket with the "walls of 'the ringso `close to the fingers i5 and wall I1 of the socketas to prevent over-expansion and consequent separation of the fastener parts Althoughl .haveY illustrated and described a `preferred. form of my invention, I do not wish to be limitedthereby because the scope of my in vention isbest defined by the following claim.

I. claim:

In a snap fastener assembly, a stud member comprisingV a plate andan integral bulbous l*head adapted-to bejpositioned in and engaged ywith an annular series Aof resilient fingers defining a studreceiving socket of a'cooperating socket member,

said stud member having an integral annular rim extending `from said base intermediate saidhead and outer edge thereof and providing arretainer ring for said resilient socket iingers againstoverexpansion when the stud and socket members are subjected to relative lateral strain. v

' THEODORE R. GRIFFIN." 

